Education, From The Capitol To The Classroom

Stories about students: How does education policy affect the way students learn and grow? Can schools meet their needs as they balance ramped-up testing with personal changes and busy schedules? And are students who need help getting it?

Stories about educators: How are those responsible for implementing education policy in schools − from classroom teachers, to district administrators, to school board members − affected by changes at the top? And how well do they meet their challenge of reaching students with varying abilities and needs?

Stories about school assessment: With an increased push for 'accountability' in schools, what can test scores tell us about teacher effectiveness and student learning − and what can't they tell us? What does the data say about how schools at all levels are performing?

Stories about government influence: Who are the people and groups most instrumental in crafting education policy? What are their priorities and agendas? And how do they work together when they disagree?

Stories about money: How do local, state, and federal governments pay to support the education policies they craft? How do direct costs of going to school − from textbooks to tuition − hit a parent or student's bottom line? And how do changing budgets and funding formulas affect learning and teaching?

IU Will Freeze Tuition For Students On Track To Graduate After Two Years

October 9, 2012 | 4:50 PM

Indiana University president Michael McRobbie delivers the 2012 State of the University address at IUPUI in Indianapolis.

Indiana University president Michael McRobbie announced a graduation incentive Tuesday that would shield students who are on track to graduate from any tuition hikes in the future.

Starting next year, IU “will effectively freeze tuition for students after their sophomore year if they are on track to graduate in four years,” a statement from the university read.

McRobbie announced the incentive during his 2012 State of Education address on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis.

“This award makes two things clear: That we are serious about holding down the cost of an IU degree,” McRobbie said in his speech, “and that we are equally serious about providing tools and incentives to help our students stay on course for on-time degree completion.”

While often viewed with skepticism within the academy, the unavoidable fact that we all have to come to terms with is that without making a serious commitment to becoming more efficient, we cannot add significant resources to the research and educational missions of the university since every one of our five major sources of IU’s revenue is under pressure or threat…

Major increases in tuition are out of the question: the market and public will no longer bear them.

In the past, Indiana University has rolled out similar incentives aimed at saving students money while simultaneously promoting on-time graduation.